


You Got my Cheese Danish?

by writworm42



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Backstage, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, in a way at least
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 23:16:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19386457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writworm42/pseuds/writworm42
Summary: For pinkgrapefruit, asking for a fic of branjie hanging out backstage during the filming of Vanjie's makeup tutorial.





	You Got my Cheese Danish?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pinkgrapefruit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkgrapefruit/gifts).



> Thank you @multifandomgeek and @artificialmeggie for beta-ing this for me <3 <3 <3 y'all are the best <3

Vanessa is still yawning when she and Brooke walk into the studio, coffees in hand and smiles still on their faces from last night. 

They’re filming makeup tutorials for VH1’s YouTube channel today, and Vanessa is nervous.

_ We’d like you to do your top five look, if that’s okay? _

It isn’t, and she wanted to tell them that, but how could she? 

_ I’m not bitter, I’m not hurt, I’m over it, I’m over it… _

She still couldn’t look at that dress without cringing, but hey, if the fans wanted it, if the studio wanted it, who was she to deny them that?

“You okay?” Brooke lays a firm hand on Vanessa’s shoulder, causing her to jump a little. 

“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m just…” But before she can find the words to express exactly what she's feeling (not that she knows exactly, not really), there’s a commotion on the other side of the room that snaps her attention away.

“Why y’all hoes ain’t tell me you was gonna be here?” Silky jogs toward them, Ariel and Nina following close behind. 

“Bitch, you know they ain’t tell us anything, we didn’t know who was filming what today!” Vanessa practically jumps on Silky to wrap her in a big, tight hug. 

“I’m not filming.” Brooke shrugs, cycling around giving hugs to each of the respective queens. “Just here for support.” Vanessa flinches instinctively at the words; even after all this time knowing everyone, it’s still hard to admit that she’s struggling, that she still flinches whenever she hears Aretha Franklin or so much as thinks of the colour green.  

“Well, come sit anyway, we’re just chatting while all the set-up goes on.” Nina waves them over to the back of the set, where a heavy metal door leads them through the harsh concrete world of lights, cameras, and action into the serenity of the studio green room. 

It’s funny; Vanessa always used to think she lived for the spotlight, but after spending two years under its heat, she relishes spaces like this, rooms with perpetually damp, pale pink walls and lived-in couches and carpeting that chafes against her skin as she sinks into it. Spaces where she can goof off and die of boredom, pretend she resents the banality of having nothing to do except hang around with queens who feel exactly the same as she does. 

“We were playing never have I ever.” Nina explains as they all sit down around Vanessa (far be it from a group of gays to use the couch when there’s a perfectly good floor to slouch on).

“Ooh, should be a pretty quick game with Ariel around,” Brooke deadpans, her knee grazing Vanessa’s lightly as she settles in beside her. Ariel rolls her eyes, and Vanessa is almost grateful that everyone is too busy laughing at the other queen’s expense to notice her heart speeding up, Brooke’s touch still enough to make her forget everything else on her mind.

They settle into their game soon after that, then move to “would you rather” before one of the questions sparks a heated debate about whether anal fisting could be a political statement. One by one, each girl is taken out to set, only returning to grab their stuff and say a quick goodbye, until finally it’s only Vanessa and Brooke left in the green room, waiting for the PAs to finish resetting. 

“How are you feeling?” Brooke shuffles over and lets Vanessa rest her head in her lap, running soft hands over the bristles of hair slowly starting to grow back in over her scalp, just long enough now to be something close to downy. She closed her eyes and breathed in the sensation, promising  herself she won’t lie.

“I’m fine.” The lie comes out far too easily, leaving a pit in her chest. Then the hand stroking her hair migrates down, moves to her chin and guides her face upward so that she’s looking Brooke right in the eyes.

Vanessa waits for Brooke to say something, waits to get called out, but the older queen stays silent, her eyes soft but never pitying.

“I could really use another coffee.” Vanessa blurts out, and Brooke laughs, the tension broken. 

“Okay, you get ready and start when they call you, I’ll go get us something. Do you want anything to eat, too?”

“Mm, where are you going to go?” Vanessa stands up and stretches, a wave of fatigue leaving her body as she does.

“I saw a pastry shop a few blocks down, maybe there?” 

“Sure.” Vanessa licks her lips, walks Brooke over to the green room door. “Maybe one of ‘em cheese danishes?”

“Okay.” Brooke lingers for a moment, a silent and heavy understanding falling somehow accusatory between them.

Brooke sent Vanjie home.

Vanjie lied and said it was okay. 

Brooke pretended she didn’t know the truth.

Vanessa let her. Was still letting her.  _ Wants _ her to, even. At least she would save face. 

Then again, Brooke probably wouldn’t be with her if she were very good at covering her emotions in the first place. 

“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?” Brooke chews the bottom of her lip, looking Vanessa up and down with eyes begging her to crack and admit what’s on her mind, to give Brooke a firm reason to worry instead of leaving her in an anxiously empathetic limbo.

“Are you gonna get me my cheese danish?” It might not be the answer Brooke is looking for, but it’s the answer Vanessa has, and she can see in Brooke’s face that its enough.

The danish is about as big as her face, and the promise of sharing the last few bites with Brooke makes things okay enough that the last half of filming is almost fun.   
  



End file.
